Dinner with Inspiring Queenslanders in London

Good evening, all.

Graeme and I are delighted to welcome you to this special dinner during my Vice-Regal visit to London as Governor of Queensland. It is a wonderful opportunity to connect with some of the many inspiring Queenslanders now living and working in the United Kingdom.

I thank Queensland’s Agent-General for the UK and Europe, Mr Ross Buchanan, and the Trade and Investment Queensland team in Europe, for their assistance in making today’s event possible.  

As you may know, I am approaching the end of my five-year term as Governor, and tomorrow afternoon I will meet with His Majesty, King Charles the Third, at Buckingham Palace and bid him a formal farewell.  

This UK visit, in its entirety, provides an opportunity to reflect on the responsibilities and privileges of serving the people of Queensland, and to reaffirm the enduring ties that connect our nations.

Australians living and working overseas, including here in the UK, contribute significantly to these connections. By building careers, businesses, academic partnerships and community networks, you help strengthen understanding between our countries and create opportunities that benefit us all.

While some of you may now refer to yourselves as “expats,” your entrepreneurial spirit, sense of adventure, impressive achievements and, I suspect, sunny dispositions mean you will always be Queenslanders at heart!

These qualities make all of you fine ambassadors and advocates for our state, and it’s a pleasure to be among your company this evening.

Tomorrow morning, Graeme and I will lay a wreath at the Australian War Memorial at Hyde Park Corner before we meet with His Majesty The King in the afternoon. The memorial commemorates the Australian servicemen and women who served and died alongside British forces in the First and Second World Wars and symbolises the diplomatic and strategic bonds between our two nations.

As we know, Australia and the UK have a deep and enduring partnership, grounded in our shared history, values and interests. Our relationship is enriched through strong people-to-people links, forged and sustained by so many of you here tonight.

In particular, I take this opportunity to thank Trade and Investment Queensland for their valued work in making connections and providing opportunities to help ensure that our companies and leading entrepreneurs — whether in Australia or abroad — have the skills, connections and market intelligence to successfully access new markets and emerging investment opportunities. Their work is strengthened here in the UK by the dedication of Mr Buchanan and his team.

Indeed, tonight’s gathering is a valuable opportunity to hear more about your work and the impact you are making in the UK and beyond.

Before I conclude tonight, it would be remiss of me not to mention that today Graeme and I enjoyed viewing the Rising Voices exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum — a landmark collaboration between the V&A and the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art.

Building on the international reputation and success of our acclaimed Asia Pacific Triennial exhibitions series, which started in Brisbane in 1993, the Rising Voices exhibition at the V&A features contemporary art from Asia, Australia and the Pacific, and is a “must see!”

There’s much for us to be proud of as Queenslanders — and we can look ahead with pride to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games which will mark yet another significant milestone for our state.

Graeme and I thank you for joining us tonight and for maintaining such strong connections with Australia and contributing so much to our international reputation.  

We wish you every success in your endeavours and trust you have an enjoyable evening.

Now, I would like you all to rise so we can toast our King.